Why Learn Mobile Development?

Mobile development refers to the skills and languages used to optimize software development projects for mobile applications. These skills often focus on building applications for iOS or Android devices, primarily smartphones. Have you ever explored all of the things mobile development can do?Not only is mobile development an in-demand career skill utilized across hundreds of industries, but learning mobile development is an ideal way to get your start-up off the ground. In addition, working in the mobile development field is an excellent way to find work on the cutting edge of new technology. Here, you’ll learn more about the careers that benefit from mobile development and how it can enhance your professional life. Regardless of your goals, learning mobile development is a valuable and impressive skill to add to your resume. 

What is Mobile Development?

As of 2021, there were as many as 6.4 billion smartphones worldwide. For smartphone users, The vast majority of smartphone users engage with their device using their apps–up to 88% of total use. Mobile applications are quickly becoming the most common way we interact with the digital space, and this shifts virtually every industry, company, and institution to prioritize using mobile applications in their branding and marketing strategies. In addition, adjacent industries, such as the mobile gaming industry, are becoming massive sources of revenue, meaning that more and more companies are moving towards mobile development as a primary, rather than a secondary, focus.

Learning mobile development skills involves learning general programming principles and tools, and languages explicitly designed for popular mobile devices. Both iOS and Android devices take advantage of proprietary programming languages built from the ground up to be optimized for those devices. Mobile development differs from general programming in that it emphasizes how applications can be designed to run optimally on any mobile device since there is a world of difference between an iPhone 12 and a Surface Tablet. Mobile Developers will be tasked with learning all the skills required to ensure that all of the application's necessary features are functional and easy to utilize regardless of who is accessing the application and on what device it is being accessed.

Read more about what mobile development is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Mobile Development?

One of the most compelling reasons to learn mobile development skills comes from the fact that the technological infrastructure is constantly improving. What was unheard of five years ago has become the technical default, and developers are constantly improving the hardware and software associated with mobile devices. This evolution makes mobile application development an incredible specialization for developers who want to be on the cutting edge as new industries and practices emerge. Whether you are interested in designing new mobile games, essential accessibility services, or working within newly emerging digital marketplaces, mobile app development skills will significantly boost your potential.

Mobile application development is also an excellent skill set for working within the developing world of the internet of things. Our phones and tablets are becoming more directly integrated with the devices and objects we interact with daily. From QR code readers to digital assistants to medical alert technology in wearables, mobile devices serve many seemingly mundane but still vital functions in our everyday lives. While developers looking to work in this field will need to learn other advanced programming skills, students with a background in mobile development will have a much easier time creating complex applications meant to extend the reach of the mobile device.

Common Professional Uses for Mobile Development

Since mobile software applications are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, more and more industries are beginning to prioritize the importance of mobile applications. New mobile applications for companies can range from new business start-ups to companies trying to build brand loyalty to government agencies looking to make vital services more accessible for users. Thus, many different career paths are available for anyone with a background in mobile development. A few of these options include the following:

Web Developer: Web Developers are programmers who specialize in building web applications and assets for those applications. They use various programming languages, depending on the project specifications and the functionality they want to build into their applications. Many Web Developers work closely with mobile development projects to ensure a seamless connection between browser-based and mobile applications. Web Developers will be less specialized than their mobile development counterparts, but they will still benefit from learning how to design assets and code for mobile development projects.

Mobile Developer: Developers are specialized programmers working on dedicated mobile design and development projects. They are likely to work with either Swift (for iOS) or Kotlin (for Android), meaning that they will be working with proprietary technologies and programming languages designed to optimize the performance of their software on specific devices. They are also often deeply involved in the planning stage of a project since mobile development languages tend to be more narrow than web-based alternatives. As a result, dedicated mobile developers can earn more than their non-specialized counterparts, but they will need significantly more specialized training to serve this role.

Software Project Manager: In most professional environments, mobile applications are developed by teams of employees working on discrete aspects of the project, including designers, developers, market researchers, beta testers, and other vital elements of the design process. Ensuring that these teams work together and projects are completed on time and within budget is the role of Software Project Managers. Software Project Engineers need not only to know the programming languages being utilized to build their mobile development projects but also to know the soft skills necessary to oversee the human element of the project.

Work on Cutting Edge Technologies

The mobile device technology is advancing rapidly and has changed dramatically over the last two decades. As mobile devices become more common and powerful, the development cycle of new applications and software is rapidly picking up steam. Anyone interested in working on the newest and most advanced technological platforms should learn mobile development skills. While technological advances come in all shapes and sizes, given that there are likely to be more mobile devices than human beings by the end of the decade, one can anticipate that this is a ripe field for seismic changes.

This constant shifting of technology becomes even more relevant for developers looking to work building more advanced software attached to the internet of things. We use our mobile devices to engage more closely with other objects we regularly interact with, like our cars and digital assistants. Anyone interested in working on new, highly-integrated software for these devices will likely benefit from learning mobile development skills since it is improbable that a different technology will supplant mobile devices soon.

Get your Own Application off the Ground

Mobile devices are increasingly the primary way consumers interact with digital marketplaces and storefronts. A solid digital presence is vital, and getting your product or business lost in an app store is easy. Learning mobile development skills can ensure that a start-up business or aspiring new service is recognized and doesn’t push users away with ineffectual or difficult-to-use functionalities. First impressions are vital, so ensuring your application is perfect on launch is essential to getting your business or service up and running.

Mobile applications are also an excellent way for businesses, designers, or entrepreneurs to make their new services easier to use and more accessible. It is easy to look at your phone and consider how many services you take advantage of because of the convenience of their mobile application, which is something new business owners and entrepreneurs should consider. Across various industries, mobile applications aren’t afterthoughts but the key to the product launch itself. Learning mobile development skills is a great way to ensure that you aren’t ignoring this vital aspect of any new launch.

Mobile Game and Data Tracking Development

Since 2017, mobile devices have surpassed traditional console and desktop gaming combined, with mobile games taking in tens of billions of dollars a year. This popularity means aspiring game developers may want to consider the massive audience and user base on mobile devices. Learning mobile development skills will open career and creative opportunities to developers looking to break into this ever-expanding industry.

The increased interconnectivity between devices also means that wearable devices are becoming more and more common. Smartwatches and other data trackers are helping people live healthier lives and be more aware of how their daily choices impact their lives. While this technological advancement is still in its infancy, it is poised to become even more common in our daily lives. Companies will need skilled developers to take full advantage of these new mobile devices.

How to Start Learning Mobile Development

As mobile development skills are becoming increasingly in demand, there is an ever-increasing number of places to learn those skills. Service providers offer both in-person and online mobile development courses, and those online courses are available as both live and asynchronous training options. While every student will learn differently, these different training methods tend to come with certain benefits and disadvantages that can make it easier for knowledge seekers to find the right training option.

Many trainees find that live instruction is the best way to learn a new skill, particularly one as complicated as computer programming. Live instruction courses allow students to work with expert instructors, and these classes are relatively flexible, offered both in-person and online. These classes allow students to work directly with professional mobile development instructors who can provide class participants with personalized feedback and assistance. Students will be able to work on hands-on projects that replicate the kinds of mobile development work they can anticipate handling in their professional lives. These courses are ideal for individuals with the time and availability to attend regular classes, even though they are more restrictive in offerings than other options.

Those requiring flexibility in their training may consider an on-demand mobile development course. These training programs offer individuals the chance to learn mobile development skills at their pace, giving students with work and family obligations the opportunity to receive a mobile development education still. These courses differ wildly in their content and delivery method, but they are generally cheaper than their live training counterparts and will usually include a significant component of recorded tutorials. These courses lack live instructors, so that participants will miss personalized feedback on their work. Learning mobile development can take significantly longer without an expert to consult, especially acquiring more complex concepts.

Future students who are partially confident that they want to build a career out of mobile development but are still interested in getting a feel for the skills required before they decide on more training will want to explore the free training options available to them. Noble Desktop offers free web development training seminars, a valuable way for students to learn the basics of programming without needing to enroll in a professional training course. Since mobile development courses require that prospective students are familiar with the basics of web development, future learners may take advantage of free resources before enrolling. They may enjoy the Intro to Front-End Web Development seminar and the other videos on the Web Development playlist on Noble’s official YouTube page.

Read the complete guide on how to learn mobile development.

Learn Mobile Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn mobile development skills will need a decent amount of focused training. They will need to learn programming basics, web development programming languages, and specific programming languages built for mobile operating systems like iOS and Android. However, no matter your level of experience, Noble Desktop has a mobile development course that fits your needs. Whether you are an experienced programmer or you need to learn HTML/CSS, Noble Desktop offers individual bootcamps and career development classes that can help you on your way to becoming a skilled Mobile Developer. Experienced instructors teach Noble’s classes, bringing expert-level web and mobile development knowledge. Learners can take Noble’s classes in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus or online in private digital classrooms. Even online, class sizes are kept small so that students aren’t competing with each other for their instructor’s attention. Plus, anyone enrolling in a Noble training course will have an opportunity to retake the class, for free, at any point within a calendar year, giving prospective students peace of mind. It allows beginners even more chances to get hands-on mobile development skills.

Individuals with prior coding experience may wish to enroll in Noble’s iOS App Development Bootcamp. This class will teach members how to work with Apple’s Xcode code editing program and their Swift programming language to build optimized applications on mobile iOS devices. Students will learn how to build interactive swipe and touch screen elements and how to add assets to the application, its launch screen, and its presence on the App store. By the end of the class, individuals will develop and post their applications to the App store. They will also understand how the mobile development process works from start to finish (people should be aware that posting applications to the app store require a paid Apple account, which every participant will be required to sign-up for to complete the course).

Those with less coding experience but still want to learn the necessary skills to work as mobile developers will want to consider enrolling in Noble’s Full Stack Development Certificate program. This program doesn’t focus specifically on mobile development. Future coders wishing to specialize in that field may need additional training, but learning full stack development skills is integral to becoming a successful and well-rounded developer. In this class, students will learn how to code web pages in HTML/CSS and JavaScript, languages that mobile developers use to build non-proprietary versions of their applications. In addition, students will learn essential JavaScript libraries and how to develop and maintain the infrastructure upon which applications operate. This career-focused course provides participants professional development training, including one-on-one career mentorship and portfolio development workshops. Pair this training seminar with Noble’s iOS Development Bootcamp for further specialization in mobile development.

Key Insights

• Mobile development refers to the specific subset of computer programming skills used to optimize software performance on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
• Mobile development skills are in high demand across a wide range of industries. Individuals looking to work on cutting-edge technologies and software systems may want to learn mobile development skills.
• Curious future enrollees can also learn mobile development skills to help meet their entrepreneurial goals since the development of mobile applications is no longer being treated as an afterthought in the digital marketplace.
• Learning mobile development skills is also a good option for aspiring game developers or other software developers hoping to take advantage of the unique affordances of mobile platforms.
• No matter why you want to learn mobile development skills, Noble Desktop covers you through their comprehensive training options, available in person and live online.